Vegan Baked Ziti
Vegan baked ziti is a cozy Italian-American comforting pasta bake turned meat and dairy-free! A crowd-pleasing, make-ahead, freezer-friendly meal.
Servings: 4 to 6
Calories: 1045kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 large red or yellow onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 10+ ounces of vegan beef crumbles
- 1 tablespoon of paprika
- 30 ounces of tomato basil sauce
- ¼ cup of nutritional yeast
- 1 pound of firm tofu
- 1 lemon
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- 1 pound of ziti or penne pasta
- 2 cups of vegan mozzarella cheese
- Fresh parsley and/or basil leaves, chopped, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pot with a lid, add the oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and vegan beef crumbles for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the paprika, mix well, and cook for 10 seconds stirring continuously.
- Add the sauce and nutritional yeast. Mix well, cover with a lid, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
- Cook the pasta for 3 minutes less than the recommended cooking time on the package. It will continue to cook in the oven. Drain and set aside in a colander.
- To prepare the tofu, wrap it in a clean kitchen towel and dry it well. Slice it into about ½-inch thick slices and place the slices on the cutting board. Squeeze a lemon on them and sprinkle salt. Set aside while the oven preheats.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Turn off the heat for the sauce and add 1 cup of sauce to the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Add the pasta to the pot with the sauce and mix well.
- Add ½ of the pasta to the baking dish and spread it into an even layer.
- Place the tofu slices into an even layer over the pasta, sprinkle 1 cup of the vegan mozzarella, and top with an even layer of the remaining pasta.
- Top with the remaining mozzarella, drizzle some olive oil, and bake for 15 minutes or until the vegan cheese is melted.
- Remove from the oven and allow it to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley or fresh basil.
Notes
- Undercook the pasta: The key is to cook it until just before al dente or al dente, as it will continue to bake in the oven without becoming mushy.
- Layer the ingredients: While it may not seem important, creating layers helps ensure you get 'cheesiness' in every bite and is worth the effort.
- For air fryer baked ziti: At 350F/175C for 6-9 minutes until the vegan cheese has melted and is bubbly.
Nutrition
Calories: 1045kcal | Carbohydrates: 136g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 1967mg | Potassium: 1214mg | Fiber: 18g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 1353IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 292mg | Iron: 9mg